Under-fire after a shoddy performance by his team’s bowlers, Delhi Daredevils coach Eric Simons on Sunday admitted that the team lacked a “leader in the bowoing attack” in the absence of Nathan Coulter-Nile.

“Losing someone like Nathan has been a massive blow. He was an Aussie and would have that aggressive streak in him. We probably lacked a leader in the bowling attack, who could bowl in certain areas and dominate in the Powerplays,” Simons tried to justify the reasons for the team’s likely last-place finish in the seventh edition of the cash-rich league.

“Actually, we haven’t played with the confidence that some of the other teams have played. We have given too many runs at the death and have dropped catches. As a unit, we didn’t function well,” said the former India bowling coach, under whose tutelage the team has finished seventh last season.

Simons didn’t agree to the opinion about Mohammed Shami‘s tremendous workload during the last international season which might have affected his performance.

“I don’t think it’s true as everyone has played a lot.

“But I believe he has grown as a bowler as the tournament has grown. Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) has played a lot of cricket and he is doing exceptionally well.”

Simons in a roundabout manner accepted they need to analyze the team and that lack of regular international players did hurt team’s cause.

“We had JP coming in and shine for us. But we also didn’t have too many regulars in international cricket,” said Gary Kirsten‘s trusted lieutenant.